Truth or Dare
by Grasspaw
Summary: Oh, dear. Fluttershy can't really say she's enjoying this game very much, especially when Rainbow Dash has to go and ask the one question she would very much like to avoid answering.


**Because in my mind, Big Macintosh does not get NEARLY enough adoration around here. Seriously. And neither does Fluttershy! It's a tragedy, that's what it is. And, as much as I wish it were otherwise, I do not own My Little Bron- I mean, My Little Ponies. So, just to clarify - this is pretty much obviously before they get together ("courting" in Mackie's words).**

Fluttershy had a problem. A big problem. A big red problem. Big Macintosh problem. For you see, every time she saw him she had the strangest urge to run away as far as she possibly could so that he absolutely would not see her. Of course, she felt like this with most every pony, so that in and of itself was not unusual. However, Big Macintosh had previously been one of the only ponies she was comfortable around. She had enjoyed his company. She liked the way he didn't seem to mind when she chattered on about her rabbits. She thought it was nice that he didn't mind not speaking. He had once given her a lift back to Ponyville when she sprained her wing.

But something had changed.

She was fairly certain that he hadn't changed. He was still the same old Big Macintosh as always, she could tell that much. He picked apples and ran the farm and took care of his little sisters. So was it she that had changed? Certainly she had never been so shy around him before. The last time she had gone to the farm to ask if she could pick a few apples for her friends in the meadow, she had been so flustered that she had had to ask Applejack instead. Big Macintosh had simply looked at her in slight confusion as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts to form a sentence. She had finished up saying lamely that she was simply looking for AJ, and he had directed her outside so that she could ask her friend. That had been embarrassing.

But _nearly_ as embarrassing as this was turning out to be.

"Your turn, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash crowed. "Truth or dare?" The blue pegasus was floating upside down and grinning at Fluttershy. They had all decided that they should get together one night at Applejack's place and sleep over. And, since Twilight Sparkle was with them (and had brought her book with her) they wound up playing Truth or Dare. How wonderful.

"Um... um..." She almost said "dare," just so she wouldn't have to answer any embarrassing questions. They had already found out that Twilight Sparkle had secretly "liked" one of the palace guards for several months, and the poor pony had been laughed at by everypony but Rarity (who sighed and said it was romantic) and Fluttershy, who secretly sympathized with her.

"Uh..." She gulped. The word "dare" was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bare to say it. Rarity had been dared to back-comb her hair. Pinkie Pie had had to tape her mouth shut. And Applejack had had to lick the underside of her own dirty hoof.

"T-truth?"

Rainbow Dash's grin widened sinisterly, and she flipped over and sat down. "Allllllrighty then... Who do you like?"

She had known it was coming. She had so known it was coming! What was she thinking, saying "truth?" Was she insane?

"I... I like a lot of ponies," she replied softly, pretending not to understand. A few of the other ponies looked at each other unsurely, as though they couldn't decided whether or not it was fair to do this to Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash simply laughed.

"Not _ponies_, sillyhead. _Stallions. _Boys. You have to like someone!"

"I like all the stallions, I suppose," Fluttershy said, careful to keep a confused expression on her face. Secretly, though, her mind was racing. How could she get out of this one? Of course it never occurred to her to simply lie. That was beyond her comprehension.

Rainbow Dash frowned. "No, Fluttershy, I mean who do you like like? You know, like... um... Like Twilight likes that one guard..." Twilight blushed. "And Rarity used to like the princess's nephew..." Rarity humphed. "Ya know, _like_ like someone."

"Oh, um... I... I kind of like... mblmlb." Rainbow Dash looked triumphant, if a bit confused.

"So you do like somepony! But sorry, I didn't quite catch who?"

"Bibmlbmbl."

"Fluttershy, come one. We're all friends here!"

"We'll keep it a secret," Twilight offered. Pinkie Pie nodded and mumbled something, but it was hard to tell what through the tape.

"Pony's honor," Rarity added solemnly.

"We won't tell no pony nothin' you don't want us to!" AJ promised.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" they said as one.

Fluttershy looked guiltily at AJ. Oh, dear. She was Big Macintosh's little sister. How would she take it? Well, too late now. She had chosen to tell the truth, after all. "I... I like... I mean, I kind of like... Not really a lot... Just, I mean, maybe a little bit..." She blushed. "Big... Big Macintosh."

There was silence. Twilight looked as though this was a rather understandable thing, Rarity looked almost disgusted (Fluttershy could practically hear her thinking how uncouth he was), Pinkie Pie looked excited, and Applejack looked... resigned? But no one said anything.

"BWAHAHAHAHAAA!" Rainbow Dash was clutching her stomach and rolling around on the ground. "That's... so... funny!" she shrieked. "You... and Big Macintosh... A HAHAHA!"

Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry you think it's so funny," she mumbled, running out of the barn. She heard Rainbow Dash stop laughing, and something that sounded like someone had just whacked the pegasus upside the head. She didn't care, though, she just kept running until she ran right into something very hard.

She looked up through her tears to see the one stallion in the world she wanted to avoid: Big Macintosh. "Well hey thar, Fluttershy. What're you doin' out here this time o' night?" She opened her mouth to answer him, but all that came out was a wail of misery as she leaped into the air and flew away, leaving him staring after her in concern.

"Did ah do something?" he asked himself, shaking his head in consternation. Ponies were such strange creatures.

**Yes, yes, I know. Horrible ending and whatnot. If you want something that will make you feel better about their relationship, go read my other fic, Aunty Septic. Macintosh/Flu-Flu Bunny fluff. So, um, yeah. I'm sorry. And guess what? THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CHAPTER. Except that maybe it is. I haven't decided. So you can decide for me so HA!**


End file.
